Medium Egg as secondary cooker?

m_b_b

Hello - new here, asking as I'm considering adding an egg to my outdoor cooking options.  Wanted to see what people think about size and choice vs other cookers.

Right now I have a PK360, which I'll continue to use for 2-zone cooks, higher heat searing, bigger batches of burgers/sausages/kebabs/etc.  I have a pizza oven (Gozney Arc) for pizza, and quick high-heat cast iron cooking.  Smoking happens on a weber smokey mountain, or on the PK for shorter stuff.

Looking at the egg as an option to replace the WSM.  My main complaints with the weber are having to fuss around with taking it completely apart to light it, trouble keeping temp when it's cold or windy outside, no where to put the lid and no shelves without aftermarket mods, and then having to take it completely apart again the next day to clean it.  Food is good, but process of cooking is annoying, and sometimes end up finishing in the oven if it's too cold outside to maintain temp.

So question is whether a medium egg is a reasonable choice here if using basically entirely for indirect cooks - pork butts, ribs, chicken (at higher heat), smoked turkey breast, chili.  Maybe an occasional brisket, but these are harder to find around me, and when I do would be likely just a flat.

Is medium enough?  Or should I really go large (knowing I have the PK if I need to cook something bigger)? Or should I go with a dedicated smoker, something like the hasty bake roughneck, which is closer to the WSM, but fixes many of the annoyances?

Thanks for reading this ramble, appreciate any thoughts.

DoubleEgger

Welcome. I’m a big fan of the medium egg but I’d be looking at a KBQ unit. These things get nothing but rave reviews and it cooks quickly. 

https://kbq.us/

Ozzie_Isaac

I love my medium, it is my go-to egg.  It is super easy to control, heats up quick, and is the perfect cooker for me most the time.

If you are comfortable rolling your ribs like on an 18WSM, then the medium is perfect.  If you want to lay ribs flat in full sections or do 3+ butts at once, then a large or XL would be better.

My vote would be medium as your first egg, because eventually you will get more 😉

Edit: I used to wrap my WSM in a packing blanket of it was cold or windy.  Made it very consistent and easy to control.

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
Real estate once acquired is what you have to work with.  I would go with the LBGE at a minimum.  
Any BGE is not the best of any specific smoking/cooking environment but it can deliver quality results across the spectrum of environments, from low&slow to high heat and anywhere in between. Your consumers will enjoy whatever you offer.  FWIW-

m_b_b

Thanks all for the quick responses and thoughts.  Appreciate the votes of confidence for the medium.  I was not aware of the KBQ, will take me a minute to wrap my head around that, but very interesting concept.

Still more to think about...

Ozzie_Isaac

lousubcap said:

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
Real estate once acquired is what you have to work with.  I would go with the LBGE at a minimum.  
Any BGE is not the best of any specific smoking/cooking environment but it can deliver quality results across the spectrum of environments, from low&slow to high heat and anywhere in between. Your consumers will enjoy whatever you offer.  FWIW-

I really want to say ignore Cap, he has made to many trips around the sun, but begrudgingly, he does make some valid points.

I really like my Medium, but it can be hard to do larger pots of soup and chili on it.

RRP

I know back 25 years ago I was asking the same question....Small? Medium? or Large? Even back then it was just my wife and I so I was thinking Medium might be the way to go. BUT I asked for input from the previous forum members and I received the same advice as @lousubcap advised - GO Large and you won't be sorry.  And I did! Then we bought a Small as a companion...then we bought a Medium and then bought a Mini. So my advice is to go Large and brace yourself for the way your blood turns green!!!

GrateEggspectations

Ozzie_Isaac said:

show previous quotes

lousubcap said:

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
Real estate once acquired is what you have to work with.  I would go with the LBGE at a minimum.  
Any BGE is not the best of any specific smoking/cooking environment but it can deliver quality results across the spectrum of environments, from low&slow to high heat and anywhere in between. Your consumers will enjoy whatever you offer.  FWIW-

I really want to say ignore Cap, he has made to many trips around the sun, but begrudgingly, he does make some valid points.

I really like my Medium, but it can be hard to do larger pots of soup and chili on it.

Agree. In terms of performance, the Medium is the best of any size I’ve used. Large is the most practical IMO because most accessories are made for it and strikes the right balance between size, fuel consumption, space allocation, etc. I now own only a Large and two MiniMaxes. 

The workaround to what Ozzie mentions above is that you buy a sizeable cast iron Dutch oven and hack off the handles. If cooking indirect, you can also remove the grate and sit the pot on ceramic pot holders or feet right on the plate setter. I even use these approaches on the MiniMax. 

Welcome to the forum, and good luck with your decision. 

m_b_b

Another vote of appreciation for the thoughts.  I'll probably swing by a dealer this weekend to look at the sizes in person again.  And maybe do some cooking on the PK and thinking about what it is I'm really missing.

JohnInCarolina

One thing I would definitely recommend is that you look at some Kamado Joes as well.  

caliking

JohnInCarolina said:

One thing I would definitely recommend is that you look at some Kamado Joes as well.  

I disliked, 'coz this guy is a heretic.

JohnInCarolina

caliking said:

show previous quotes

JohnInCarolina said:

One thing I would definitely recommend is that you look at some Kamado Joes as well.  

I disliked, 'coz this guy is a heretic.

I agreed, because you’re right.  

Gulfcoastguy

Now he’s just patriotic for the red , white, blue.

Corv

I had a Medium, which unfortunately was destroyed in a windstorm. I'd already gotten a Mini by that time, because I usually cook and eat alone and the Mini is perfect for one meal. The Medium is a bit small for a large cook with left-overs, so when it was destroyed, I replaced it with a Large.

The difference between the amount of charcoal used by the three sizes is impressive. The Mini uses handfuls. The Large uses lots. Think about your actual needs.

MaskedMarvel

Get the large. I have both the large and medium / the large is versatile and has the best accessories. You can’t put a packer trimmed brisket in a medium. I’m not sure a regular size turkey will go in there - definitely not spatchcocked. Anyway. The medium would be my second egg. Maybe a minimax. 

Cheers! And welcome!

Mr1egg

Medium is great as a secondary but watch out for ribs I don't think they'll fit on there. I usually just do sides on mine and keep the primo xl as my main weapon of choice.

m_b_b

Went to the dealer yesterday.  I think Large is definitely too big since this will be a secondary cooker, and is sharing space with a grill and a pizza oven.  The PK is just a bit smaller than the Primo XL in terms of cooking area, so great for 2-zone or all direct grilling, just lacks the ability to go fully indirect.  Medium seems like it would have me covered for a pork shoulder, or turkey breast or spatchcock chicken. I think with some CGS accessories I could get my small dutch oven dropped in there too.

I think now I just need to decide if I want an egg for the efficiency and winter temp control, or to go with a dedicated smoker that will give me a bit more capacity and ability to hang ribs, but at the cost of more fuel usage.   

danhoo

m_b_b said:

I think now I just need to decide if I want an egg for the efficiency and winter temp control, or to go with a dedicated smoker that will give me a bit more capacity and ability to hang ribs, but at the cost of more fuel usage.   

Both ?

Stormbringer

m_b_b said:

Went to the dealer yesterday.  I think Large is definitely too big since this will be a secondary cooker, and is sharing space with a grill and a pizza oven.  The PK is just a bit smaller than the Primo XL in terms of cooking area, so great for 2-zone or all direct grilling, just lacks the ability to go fully indirect.  Medium seems like it would have me covered for a pork shoulder, or turkey breast or spatchcock chicken. I think with some CGS accessories I could get my small dutch oven dropped in there too.

I think now I just need to decide if I want an egg for the efficiency and winter temp control, or to go with a dedicated smoker that will give me a bit more capacity and ability to hang ribs, but at the cost of more fuel usage.   

I was thinking the same when I looked at my first Egg purchase. The dealer pointed out that he never got people complaining their Egg was too big, only that it was too small when someone wanted to try something they hadn't thought of and the medium just wasn't that big enough.

Also there are more aftermarket accessories for the Large. In hindsight, I'm so glad I bought the Large instead of the Medium.

6baluts

@m_b_b

- Concerning your PK Grill 
- "Innovations by Chance" sells aftermarket accessories for both the PK Grill and BGE's for that matter.
- One of his offerings for the PK Grill is called the "Game Changer" which allows you cook fully indirect on your PK Grill. The cost for the PKO/PKTEX is $99 and the PK360 is $119.
- I have a PKO and was gifted a Game Changer and it is pretty good. Very well made. Took me a while to find the perfect fit disposable aluminum pan for a drip pan.
- I upped my PKO's indirect beef short rib game from 2 racks of 4 bones to 4 racks of 4 bones with no sacrifice of end product.

Foghorn

I've never had a medium BGE, but I've had an XL and XXL.  I also own a KBQ and a WSM.

Because you mentioned it in your original post, I'll point out that one factor that others have not mentioned is the ease of use of any size BGE compared to the KBQ and the WSM.  The BGE doesn't require any cleaning after each use or a cover.  When you walk away with the food at the end of the cook, just shut the vents and you are done with the BGE until the next time you want to cook.  Also, unlike the KBQ and the WSM you don't have to add wood every 20-30 minutes or so.  For most, that is a positive.  For a few that is a negative because it takes away their excuse to constantly hang by the fire.  I choose my grill/smoker for any given cook based on how my day looks from other aspects.  Some days I can devote the day to tending a fire on my offset, KBQ, or WSM.  Most days I choose not to do that and use the BGE.  I suspect that if you get a BGE it will become your most used grill.  If you don't have space for the large, go with the medium and accept that you can't do large briskets (although with some well placed foil to block the heat and a firebrick wrapped in foil to drape it over, it can be done) or spatchcock turkeys on it.

fishlessman

i would add a large.....reading your original post it looks like it wont be your last cooker anyways